Muddy Waters
by Taka Momos
Summary: Sasuke, CEO of Itachi's corporation, finds a poor and homeless Naruto unconscious in the rainy corner of a parking garage. He takes him home to take care of him, finding that Naruto is more than just a mud-covered beggar. SasuNaru fluff'n'stuff, Yaoi late
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Meh, so I was once again inspired. This one's been going around in my head for a while now, and I finally finished it in class today. I just do it in Pre-Cal. I even worked on it in Government some. Nothing important there, the government is too screwed up to study correctly anyways.

And I fail to see how Pre-Cal is relevant to me if I'm majoring in English. I'm even minoring in Biology and I'll never use it P

Heh, whatever. Read and review if you liked it, stroking my ego is always a good way to get new chapters from me.

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 1_

by Taka Momos

"Yeah... yeah, I know."

Sasuke distractedly walked down the rainsoaked sidewalk. He was always working. He had to. CEOs of major corporations had to do that. The business world was always working, and if he fell behind then profits would suffer.

"Yeah..."

His brother, the president of Uchiha Corp. was always calling. There was always something to discuss; always work to do.

"Of course I have time! No, I don't need a life..."

Work kept him busy. Having a life was just another way of saying that someone was wasteful and unproductive.

He entered the parking garage just as the rain began to start pounding again. Dark, muddy water ran along the wall of the garage.

"Uhuh..."

His eyes followed the brackish water as he walkd along.

"No, give it some time. I'm sure it will work out."

His eyes finally fell onto a pile of worn, dirty clothes lumped against the wall. He stopped walking when he realized that the pile of clothes was actually a human.

"I'll call you back, I'm getting into my car now."

He walked over to the lump of human and roughly shoved it with his foot. He didn't reall care, but he didn't want to fee bad later about leaving him to die.

"Wake up."

The lump lifted its grungy, blond head. Brilliant blue eyes gripped his cold, steely ones. Just as reality returned to him, his blue eyes glazed over. The head fell back into the puddle with a splash.

"Hey, kid. You ok?"

Sasuke leaned down to try and wake him up. When the lump didn't wake up after a few shakes, Sasuke began to walk away, but froze when the image of the blue eyes flashed through his mind. Those eyes were just so...

_... beautiful?_

He huffed as he headed to his car. He threw his briefcase in as he turned around and walked back over to the lump. He leaned down and picked him up bridal style, surprised at how light he was. Water poured down from the blond hair, soaking his suit. Sasuke didn't care though, he probably needed to have it cleaned anyways.

He loaded the blond into the back of his BMW, careful to make sure he was comfortable. He could always just have his car cleaned too...

He looked back at the pathetic blond as he drove out of the parking garage. He didn't know why he was helping him. Maybe Itachi was right... maybe he did have a heart.

* * *

Sasuke pulled into the mansion's driveway an hour later. While he and his brother shared the mansion, Sasuke mainly lived in a wing he had renovated into a private apartment. Instead of having to deal with full-time staff, he just had Itachi's staff clean his apartment whenever it needed it.

He left the blond in the car while he carried his things in, deciding to start the shower as well so that it could be warming up. He would have to clean as much of the dirt off of the blond as he could.

He made sure to leave the door open as he went back for his new guest. The blond let out a small moan as Sasuke picked him up, his head lolling to the side weakly. Sasuke carried him through the front door sideways, closing it behind him with his foot.

He laid the still-unconscious teen on the bed, only now realizing how close to his own age the other was. He began to remove the rags he wore for clothes, blushing as the sight of his under-fed, but otherwise well0toned, body. After removing his shirt and pants, Sasuke decided to leave his boxers on. That was an area he could clean himself when he woke up.

Or that Sasuke could clean once the blond would enjoy it more...

His blush deepened at the thought.

Sasuke removed his own clothes before carrying the blond into the shower, smirking when the teen let out a throaty mewl when the warm water hit him. He stood the blond up, leaning him back against his own body to support them both. Water ran down their bodies as Sasuke worked the soap into a lather before attacking the layers of dirt and mud on the poor blond's body.

After cleaning him and spending a few minutes relaxing under the warm water, Sasuke turned the shower off and struggled to pick the other boy up. He laid him down on the huge bed covered in dark blue sheets, deciding to change him out of the new wet and dirty boxers he was still wearing. Sasuke moved over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of black boxers for the blond, then put a pair of dark blue sleep plants on himself. He pulled the blond's own boxers off, doing his best not to look at the blond's manhood, and changed him into his own.

Finally, he moved him up to set his head on the pillowed and pulled the large sheets over the now clean body. He smiled down at the face, which looked remarkably beautiful when not covered in mud and dirt. Sasuke reached down and brushed the blond bangs off of his face before leaving him to rest. He would just sleep on the couch, he still had more work to do anyways.

* * *

Sasuke pulled the blanket over his legs before turning on the TV. The large flat-screen flashed on, displaying a news station that was showing various stock prices and graphs.

His eyes scanned over the scrolling numbers as he waited for the laptop in his lap to boot. When it finally did, he opened his email and sorted through the various reminders of meetings and appointments he had to attend.

The smile that he never knew was on his face disappeared as the stress of the business world began to sink in again. He looked at the bedroom door, almost as if searching for some kind of escape from the life he enjoyed just a few hours before. He glanced at the lower corner of the screen to find the time.

3:48.

Sasuke let out a groan, tapping his finger on the humming machine. He opened a new email and typed in his brother's personal address.

_Itachi, _

_Not feeling well, so I'm not coming into work tomorrow. Email me anything that needs to be signed._

_-Sasuke_

He sighed as he closed the laptop and laid himself down so that his head was on his pillow.

After a few minutes of watching monotoned analysts discuss the falling stocks and failing business, Sasuke's eyes became heavy. He fell asleep relaxed about his decision to take a day off. Itachi was more than competent enough to handle things without him, and he was always being whined at by his nosy brother about how he should take more time off.

It was just one day...

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'd like to state once again that stroking my ego is always a good thing if you want this to be updated. It only takes one... come on people, be that one person to get another chapter out of me!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, it's actually made something I've written feel recognized!

And, as promised, reviews are rewarded with a hasty update. I have another idea swimming around in my head too, but just because you guys were awesome enough to review, I fought the ADD and stuck to it to get it done tonight.

Anyways, here's the second chapter. I might even name them eventually. You never know what!

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 2_

by Taka Momos

Naruto's eyes opened to see a mostly darkened room. He felt clean, warm, comfortable...

...naked?

He tried to sit up, still groggy. His usual nausea swept over him from not having eaten in days. He looked around the room, searching for any kind of clue as to where he was.

All he could see in the overwhelming darkness was the soft glow of a digital clock.

4:59.

He tried to fight through the confusion, dizziness, and fatigue, failing miserably. All he knew was that he was warm, comfortable, and clean, all things out of the ordinary. He was forced to lay down again, waves of dizziness finally taking over just as he realized that he was in a large, soft bed.

Naruto slipped back into an uneasy sleep, trying to escape from the usual misery.

* * *

Sasuke woke up around ten o'clock, not used to being woken up by the sun shining in his face. He eased himself off the couch and headed into the kitchen to start a cup of coffee. After he had started the coffee maker, Sasuke remembered the details of the night before. He walked with a carefully controlled sense of urgency to his bedroom, wondering if the blond has woken up before he had.

He cracked the door to see his new guest curled up in a ball, snoring lightly. He walked closer, smiling when he noticed the adorable string of drool that had escaped the bond's mouth. He reached down and brushed a stray strand of hair that had fallen in the boy's face. The sleeping teen groaned as he opened his eyes, finally focusing his blurry vision on Sasuke. The Uchiha smiled, almost letting it slip into a smirk.

"Good morning."

Naruto quickly looked away.

"Umm... hi..." It was so weak and quiet that Sasuke almost didn't hear it.

"Where am I?"

"My home. You passed out in a puddle, and from what you were dressed in I assumed you wouldn't mind if I brought you with me. What's your name?"

"N-naruto... what happened to my clothes?"

"I took them off and gave them to the help to be washed. You'll get them back later today if they survive the wash... how did you end up sleeping in a parking garage? I'm guessing stupidity isn't the only reason..."

A blush ran across Naruto's face. Here he was, practically _naked_ in a strange, but no half0bad looking, man's bed being insulted about being poor. His blush deepend when he thought about how exactly his clothes came off.

"It's a long story..."

Sasuke quickly realized his mistake as an awkward silence fell between the two.

"So, uhh... do you want some breakfast? Maybe some eggs and toast, or some bacon?"

Naruto's head whipped up at the offer of food. He was so hungry...

"Yes, please..." He tried not to sound as desperate as he really was, part of his pride that refused to die even when he was broken. He still had _some_ self-respect...

"Ok, I'll be back in a minute with it."

While Sasuke was gone fixing the food, Naruto looked the room over. It looked so... expensive! A huge TV on the wall facing the bed, furniture that looked like they had cost more than he was worth, the sheets even felt like they were made of silk. He was almost afraid to touch anything!

The fifteen minutes Sasuke was gone felt more like an eternity. An eternity of sitting and waiting in an empty, unfamiliar room...

He finally returned carrying two large plates of eggs, bacon, toast, and a glass of orange juice delicately balanced on each plate. The blond's eyes widened. There was more food in his hands than he'd seen in at least a month! The Uchiha placed the plates down on the table by the bed, finally placing the glasses on a stable surface before handing the blond his food.

Sasuke could only stare as the blond engulfed his food, practically cramming it down his throat. He had barely even finished one piece of toast before Naruto had finished. Sasuke cought lightly to get the other's attention.

"Erm... would you like the rest of mine?"

"Can I!? I mean, you don't mind?"

"Sure, go ahead. Knock yourself out."

Naruto attacked the second plate just as aggressively, devouring the food as it if were the first food he'd seen in days.

"_It probably is..."_

The blond gave a contented sigh as he leaned back, satisfied. Sasuke again found himself lost in the brilliant blue eyes that were made all the more beautiful by the cheeky smile the blond was now wearing.

He was so lost in admiring the blond that another awkward silence had slipped between them, giving Naruto more than enough time to notice how the darker-haired teen was grinning like an idiot. He snapped out of his de when the blond began to speak.

"C-can I get some clothes?"

"Huh? Oh, sure. Just grab anything out of the dresser that fits. Come and get me when you change."

With a flip of his hand in the general direction of a large, intimidating dresser, the Uchiha left his new friend to change.

* * *

Sasuke looked up from his laptop when he heard his bedroom door finally open. Naruto stood there wearing a pair of shorts that barely stayed up and a shirt twice his size with Uchiha emblazoned on the back. Sasuke felt waves of warmth radiate from deep inside him at the sight, barely catching himself before he was caught grinning like an idiot once again.

Naruto slowly made his way over to the table that Sasuke was sitting at. He made sure to be careful as he pulled the chair to Sasuke's right out just far enough for him to sit down.

"You... didn't tell me your name."

"Hn. Sasuke."

"Oh..." Naruto twiddled his thumbs in an attempt to entertain himself. The other seemed lost in whatever he was doing, the clicking of keys being the only noise in the room.

"So, what are you doing?"

"Managing my stocks."

"Your what?"

The furious clicking stopped as the Uchiha raised an eyebrow at the question.

"My stocks. You buy them? It's basically buying tiny pieces of a company."

"Oh... so that's why you do?"

"In my spare time. I mainly work as the CEO of my brother's company."

The clicking of keys began once again as his attention was focused back on the screen.

"Wha-... but how? You look like you aren't any older than me."

"I'm 18."

"Yeah, well, I'm 17. But how could an 18 year old be a CE3 of anything?"

"CEO. And I'm smart, I'd already started college by the time I was 16. Everyone in our family has."

Naruto once again felt his usual feeling creep up his neck. That feeling of misplacement- being somewhere he didn't belong. He looked down at his reflection in the glass table, just now noticing how gray the room was. Dark grays, black, white, it was just so lifeless.

His jolted back to reality when he heard the snap of the laptop being shut.

Sasuke picked it up under his arm and made his way over to the couch, Naruto following close behind for a reason he didn't even know himself. An older, monotone voice spread through the apartment as the news was turned on and Sasuke fell back onto the couch. He gave Naruto a look that suggested he do the same.

Naruto pulled his knees up to his chest as he felt the couch engulf him. It was a comfortable couch, but the feeling of being sucked into furniture was certainly a new experience. Sasuke gave an inaudible chuckle at the expression on the blond's face.

* * *

After an hour of watching the news, Sasuke had learned quite a bit about Naruto. He used to live in an orphanage, and after an entire life of bouncing in and out, never being taken by a family for more than a week, he was turned to the streets when he turned 16. He had never really thought about what happens to the children that don't get adopted by the time they're almost adults.

Since then, Naruto had lived on the streets, finding food where he could, shelter where it looked safe, and clothes where they might be discarded. He felt pangs of sympathy whenever he heard a specifically tragic part about the other teen's life, something his ice-cold heart had never had in recent memory. He even smiled when the blond went off about how much fun he had watching the old men play chess in the park, or about a school teacher who had tried to teach him after school.

The teacher was apparently like a father-figure to him, but it had been months seen he'd seen the man. Apparently there was even talk about him being taken into the man's home, but they hadn't come to a decision before Naruto lost touch with him.

Sasuke noticed that the entire time he'd be listening the other boy had relaxed, almost the point that he was right beside him. Sasuke took the opportunity to slowly wrap an arm around the other's waist, pulling him back into his chest. Naruto looked up him, eyes covered by blond bangs, and gave a half smile. He'd have to take it slow, not wanting to make the other think that he was trying to use him.

He felt the breath he didn't know he was holding release when Naruto began laughing again and talking about a garbage collector he would talk to every now and then. Apparently the man's son had once gotten in a fight with him over a blanket he'd been using. They had become good friends after that, he even got to ride on the truck once apparently.

It amazed Sasuke how little it took to amuse Naruto. Old men playing chess was certainly not at the top of his list of things to watch later that night. But he found it cute, much in contrast to the usual annoyance he'd feel over such petty entertainment.

They sat there like that for an hour or two more, learning more and more about each other. Sasuke actually felt as if he'd made an amount of progress in his relationship with the blond.

* * *

**Author's Note:**So, the same deal from the first chapter goes with this one- if you guys review, I'll post another chapter up as fast as I can!

Also, once this story goes up I should be able to do some beta-reviewing. Not that it impacts my stories in any way, just thought I'd aid the prostitution of my services a little bit.

Meh... anyways, thanks in advance for reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews, it's given me quite a bit of direction on where I'm going with each chapter. You'd be surprised how the little things you make me think

And thanks for taking such an interest in the story, it makes me feel special and stuff!

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 3  
_

by Taka Momos

Naruto leaned his head back into Sasuke's chest, enjoying the comfortable silence as Sasuke focused on the news. For the first time in years he felt truly happy.

He didn't know why the Uchiha, a clearly rich and power person, had taken such an interest in him. Countless suit-wearing businessmen had walked by without even noticing him, yet alone helping him.

He had to admit though- despite his sometimes stuck-up attitude he was a really good guy. He felt safe around him, even comfortable with the advances that he was making.

He was torn from his thoughts when a cell phone rang. Sasuke reached over his shoulder and grabbed it off of the table behind them, skillfully flipping it open with one hand.

"Hello? Oh, hey... yeah, I'm fine. Just needed some time off..."

Naruto felt a hand being run through his hair. Sasuke's voice was noticeably deeper and rougher, his expression cutthroat and serious.

"No, don't make the deal. They think they can push us around; they need to be taught that _everyone_ is expendable..."

The hand moved down to gently rub Naruto's shoulder.

"Hn. Bye."

The phone snapped as it shut, making the blond flinch.

"We need to wash your hair."

The finality of his voice made the blond wheel around, staring into expressionless eyes.

"Huh?"

"When I cleaned you up the other night I didn't wash your hair or face, you wanna go do that right now? I'll have dinner made for us and wait for you to get out."

"Oh, ok..."

"The bathroom's the door on the left of the bedroom. The shampoo is the gray bottle, make sure you remember not to get any any your eyes."

Naruto made a soft reply of recognition as he got up and stiffly made his way to the bathroom. Sasuke called the kitchen staff to have them prepare the meal before sitting down and reviewing financial reports.

* * *

Sasuke looked up from the various papers when he heard the bathroom door crack.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"C-can you come help me?"

The question caught Sasuke off guard.

"With what?"

Well, umm... it's kind of, you know, been a while since I've done anything like this..."

Sasuke smirked instantly, much like a predator when they find their prey exposed and unsuspecting.

"Sure, I'll be there in a minute."

He was practically licking his lips. He'd known it might be a little difficult getting the blond to warm up to him, but here he was- being invited to join him in the shower.

He tried to wipe the expression off of his face when he entered the bathroom. He removed his own clothes before slowly pulling the shower door open, already feeling the anticipation as he stepped inside, a warm feeling in his chest. He slowly closed the door, enjoying the perfection of the moment.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"C-can you just... wash my hair? I'll probably get it in my eyes and stuff..."

The Uchiha could practically hear the blush on the blond's face. He was so cute...

The smirk was back on his face in an instant.

He reached over the blond, grabbing the bottle of shampoo. He poured some in his hand, rubbed his hands together, and slowly went at the blond's head. He could feel Naruto begin to melt as he massaged his scalp, making sure to be thorough. He gently kneaded circles in the blond's temples, hearing the strangling of a moan being held back.

He moved Naruto forward to rinse the lather out of his hair, making sure that it was wash completely out. After he was sure that it was clean, he took the opportunity to pull the blond into an embrace, circling his arms gently around the other's waist.

Naruto stiffened at the sudden contact, but slowly began to relax into Sasuke's chest. Sasuke ran a hand up and down the other teen's side, savoring each new area he was claiming as his own. He leaned his head to the side, licking the shell of Naruto's ear, finally earning a small moan.

"Naruto?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I really like you."

"I like you too..." His voice was timid, but still sincere.

Sasuke moved down to take an earlobe into his mouth, suckling it and giving it the occasional nip. The moans increased, and Naruto began to melt even further, leaning more and more into Sasuke for support.

The raven took the chance to trace a finger up Naruto's chest and tease one of his nipples, pinching and teasing the nub. The blond head fell back, allowing Sasuke to see that Naruto's eyes were clamped shut, mouth slightly open.

He had him.

Slowly, painfully so, he traced his hand back down the other's torso, making sure to stop at each sensitive spot along the way. Once he reached Naruto's stomach, he felt the blond take in a slow, forced breath.

He kept going, inching closer and closer to his target. Naruto gasped when Sasuke's hand hit his waistline, stiffening when Sasuke began caressing his thigh.

"N..."

Sasuke, now nipping and sucking on Naruto's neck, smirked into the abused flesh. He stopped teasing and began again for his target.

Closer and closer, almost there...

"NO!"

Sasuke barely had time to grip onto Naruto as the blond went down flailing. He felt himself slip as he tried to hold on to the now thrashing Naruto.

He felt his head hit the floor with a sickening thud.

It took everything Sasuke had to restrain Naruto, arms and legs being thrown in every direction, screams filling the shower.

"Naruto! NARUTO!"

Sasuke struggled to keep a grip on Naruto, the water still pouring on them not helping the situation. Finally, once he had pinned the other teen down, hefelt Naruto begin to stop struggling.

Screams of terror turned into violent sobs. Sasuke did his best to sit up and hold the crying blond who was now burying his head in Sasuke's chest as the sobs wracked his body. Sasuke rubbed Naruto's back to try and help him calm down.

Once Naruto had calmed down, Sasuke helped him stand up. He flipped the now cold shower off as he opened the door, still supporting Naruto's weight. He grabbed a towel before helping them both down the floor. Sasuke used the towel to begin drying the blond hair, still cradling Naruto as the whimpers began being replaced with forced breaths.

Finally, sure that the hair was as dry as he could get it, Sasuke helped Naruto stand up, guiding him back into the bedroom. He led him to the dresser and pulled out two pairs of boxers, one for Naruto and one for himself. Remaining silent, he handed Naruto the boxers and released him to put them on, using his freed arms to put on his own.

Naruto struggled with getting them on, fighting to keep his balance, teetering back forth each time he leaned down. He only succeeded when Sasuke helped to stabilize him. Sasuke reached back in and grabbed one of his larger, more comfortable shirts.

"Lift your arms up."

He'd learned from the boxers that Naruto was still not strong enough to support himself much. He pulled the shirt over the other's head, letting Naruto guide his own arms through the sleeves. Now clothed, he led the them both to the bed, being careful not to lean back too fast.

Naruto's whimpering had mostly died down, only the occasional harsh breath escaping him. Sasuke nuzzled his forehead in the blond hair, surprised at how bright it was now that it was clean and beginning to dry.

He glanced at Naruto's face, noticing the adorable way he was biting down on his lip. It was then that he noticed the scars that he had dismissed as part of the caked-on dirt that covered Naruto's face. He ran his fingers along them... three on each cheek in the shape of whiskers.

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm s-sorry."

The apology broke with another round of sobs, each one sending a pain through Sasuke's chest.

"Sorry for what?"

"F-for making you h-hit your h-head..."

Naruto's whimpers turned into hiccups, each one sending more tremors through his weakened body. Sasuke held him, tracing circles in the shaking back.

"Shh... you didn't mean to. I'm sorry I upset you so much."

Another sob shook the now battered frame of the boy, each one leaving a trembling blond in its wake.

* * *

It had taken an hour to completely calm Naruto down. He was slipping in and out of sleep, clinging as tight as he could to Sasuke. Sasuke spent the entire time whispering to him, telling him it would be ok.

Once he was sure Naruto wouldn't break into another fit of sobs, he began to ease himself off of the bed, only to be stopped by a loud whimper of disapproval and a hand reaching for anything it could grab.

"I'm just going to turn off the lights and get something to drink, I'll be right back."

"Promise?"

The question stunned him. He looked down into the puffy eyes, now filled with shadows and darker blues instead of the brilliant blue he'd seen before.

"Yeah, I promise. Do you want anything while I'm up?"

Naruto shook his head, sinking back down into the bed. Sasuke got up gently, trying not to shake the bed too much. He flipped off the bathroom light that had been left on before heading out into the rest of the apartment.

As he made his way around the apartment, he remembered that he'd ordered food. He opened the door to find covered plates sitting on a cart. Sasuke began pulling it into the apartment and rolling it into the kitchen. He needed to at least put the food in the refrigerator so he could heat it up tomorrow. No sense in wasting it...

He noted how cold it was as he wrapped it up, putting each plate quickly in the refrigerator, not even bothering to check what the cooks had made.

He went over a small checklist in his head of things to do before he went to sleep. Turn off the lights and TV, lock the doors, check his cell phone one last time...

He decided upon the last thing to include in his list.

He walked over to the laptop, opening it slowly and closing his eyes so that he wouldn't be blinded when the bright light tore through the darkness. He navigated the many different screens to his email, where he quickly typed his message.

_Itachi,_

_Didn't get as much rest as I'd hoped, so I'm taking tomorrow off. I'm sure you can survive without me another day._

_-Sasuke_

The laptop clicked as it was closed. Sasuke made his way back to his bedroom to find Naruto still half-awake, looking at him with drowsy eyes still puffy from crying. The moonlight barely lit Naruto's face, just enough to distinctly outline the whisker-like scars Sasuke had just noticed an hour before. Sasuke crawled up behind the blond, pulled the dark blue sheets over their bodies, and wrapped a protective arm around Naruto's waist.

Naruto pressed back against the raven, wrapping his own arms around the one Sasuke had slipped under his head. Not long after, Sasuke heard a soft snore escape Naruto. He leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"It'll be ok. You'll always be safe from now on."

Naruto let out a half-conscious murmur of recognition, sending waves of warmth through Sasuke.

He squeezed Naruto tighter, burying his face in the blond head before finally drifting off to sleep, holding in his arms the first thing that had ever made him truly happy.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ok, same deal as the other 2 chapters. You review, I put up another chapter as fast as I can get it out


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **I am SOO sorry this took so long to finish. I kind of lost my inspiration for it and stuff... I know, no excuse. But the point is that it's updated now, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Basically, my interest has drifted elsewhere, specifically towards some Gundam fics I have floating around in my head. However, save your tomatoes and rotten fruit, for I bear good news. Because I actually began putting my writing skills into fanfics solely **BECAUSE OF** people getting me hooked on stories and then abandoning them, I'm not going to do that to you. I'd rather force myself to write a story I hate (which is **NOT** the case with this story, I've just honeslty been busy) than do that to even one person.

So this story will continue, I promise. Updates just might be a little random and such for a while. A month at the latest though, if even that.

Also, I plan on writing some of my more serious fics for Gundam, which will help keep my mind clear and give more room for this. And if you want to go read those, feel free. The more reads the merrier. I enjoy writing Gundam fics more, but I enjoy the fan base for Naruto more. So...

Anyways, hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 4  
_

by Taka Momos

Sasuke had woken up by 7 even though his alarm was turned off. It was a habit, he usually was up and getting ready by 6:30.

He squeed the blond that had snuggled into his chest during the night. He started to remember what had happened the night before, the sheer terror in the blue eyes he'd come to love.

He never wanted to see that look again...

Sasuke pressed his lips to Naruto's forehead, earning a sleepy mumble. Naruto nuzzled his head into Sasuke's chest, like a little fox curling up for warmth. Sasuke let out a small sigh as he ran his hands through the blond hair.

" 'suke?"

"Mmm... good morning."

Naruto's eyes burned as he rubbed at them furiously, still trying to nuzzle into his chest.

"Whatim'sit?"

"Shh, it's 7. Go back to sleep." The fox gave a sleepy nod against Sasuke's chest as he fell asleep again. Sasuke buried his face in the blond hair, feeling sleep wash over him as well.

* * *

The dull throbbing of his head woke him up around 10, his head being whiny in its demand for medication. He lifted the arm around Naruto's waist to massage it, but drew back when the pain shot through his head.

Naruto began squirming at the loss of warmth. Sasuke's cold black eyes looked down at Naruto's still puffy ones. He felt lost in the deep blue when the kitsune opened his eyes, a questioning look on his face.

"Morning. Did you sleep good?" He got a weak nod.

"... feeling better?" Another weak nod.

"Hn. I'll go make us some breakfast." As Sasuke tried to get up he felt Naruto cling to him tightly, dragging him back into place.

"I'm sorry." The blond began choking on weak sobs, causing Sasuke to tighten his grip.

Shhh, shhh, it's alright. You'll be o.k."

"Yeah, it's... j-just some s-stuff I thought I was over..."

"Did someone do something to you?" Sasuke didn't realize how stupid the question was until he felt the sob rip through his fox.

"No, they just tried..."

"We don't have to talk about it now." His voice trailed off as he held Naruto, watching the tears begin to stop. It didn't take long for him to calm down. Naruto had never felt as secure as he did in Sasuke's arms.

"Come on, what do you want to eat?"

"Do you have any ramen?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the odd choice of breakfast.

"I can check..." He almost melted at the toothy smile Naruto gave.

* * *

Three bowls of ramen later, Sasuke and Naruto were cuddling on the couch watching the news. Naruto had agreed to go look for clothes later that day, mainly because the rags he'd been wearing failed to survive the rinse cycle.

Sasuke still felt the need to go slow, scared of a repeat from the night before. He moved his hand softly through the blond hair, lightly traced the set of scars on the sun-kissed face, gently wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled the other back into his own chest-

Sasuke felt his muscles tighten when his phone began to ring. He gave a frustrated sigh as he grabbed at the whining device.

"What!?"

"Oi, Sasuke. From the way you answer the phone it's no wonder people are scared of you."

"Kakashi, if you don't have a good reason for calling then consider yourself fire-"

"Calm down, you should really learn to relax more."

"Unlike you, I don't have time to collect porn."

"You could borrow some if you'd like. But I digress... we need to meet later today, there are loose ends that you failed to tie up. Meet in the coffee shop at 5?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Ah, good. See you then."

Sasuke sighed as he snapped his phone shut. He would just swing by while he and Naruto were buying clothes and sign what he needed to.

"Who was that?"

"Kakashi, he's my business advisor. He was also my tutor before I graduated. Stupid pervert... we just need to stop by the coffee shop while we're out, no big deal."

"Pervert, huh? Now I know where you get yours from."

"I'm not perverted! How am I perverted!?" Naruto smiled as he leaned back into Sasuke's chest.

"You just are. Not that it's bad though."

"Hn."

* * *

Hours later, Sasuke and Naruto had finished buying clothes. Sasuke was amazed at how much orange he'd bought. Orange shirts, orange pants, orange coats, he didn't know they made so many things in orange.

Sasuke was surprised how quickly Naruto had wamred up to him. He'd hardly notice when Naruto walked close to him, suddenly they'd be holding hands. He'd never once seen the blond's cheerful smile falter. It made him feel warm inside that his fox was so happy.

They entered the coffee shop at 5:15, Sasuke making sure to be late. He knew that he could give 30 minutes to any appointment with Kakashi and still arrive early, so he was surprised to see Kakashi already sitting at a table drinking coffee with a pony-tailed man. He remembered the man from a Christmas party the year before, he was introduced as Kakashi's boyfriend, which probably explained how Kakashi had gotten somewhere _almost_ on time for once.

With Naruto close behind, he walked over to the table with pen in hand, ready to sign whatever he needed to. He skipped introductions, settling for a half-hearted grunt of recognition in the direction of the other man. He was so busy focusing on getting out of the shop fast that he didn't notice Naruto and the man staring at each other.

"Naruto?"

Sasuke looked up from the papers to see the man staring at Naruto, then turned his attention to the blond. Naruto's eyes were already beginning to swell with tears.

"Iruka!"

Before Sasuke could blink, the blond and the man were hugging and crying.

"Kakashi, why is your boyfriend hugging my Naruto?"

"I don't know, Sasuke. Do you want me to get the camera in case it starts to get interesting?"

It was at that moment that Sasuke considered firing his business advisor. One day... maybe. Only if it didn't make his Naruto sad that he'd fired the boyfriend of a man he cared enough to hug and cry with. Which made Kakashi's job security look very good at that moment.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So, same deal as always. If you're nice about favoriting and reviewing and leaving me nice comments that stroke my ego, I'll work even harder to get the next update out faster. As fast as I can anyways, so you'll wanna review and favorite your hearts out!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a message, I honestly read them and sometimes use them for inspiration. Ya never know!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Yeah yeah yeah, I know... I've been gone for a while .

I kind of lost inspiration a little. And the only time I've been able to type up and upload stories has been at night, when I run the risk of my meds kicking in towards the end of typing. I also need to go back and edit the other chapters with a new format I want to use. I'll start using it in this chapter. No real changes, just housekeeping stuff.

And I'm sorry this is a bit short. In all honesty I thought it was longer. I can't type stuff up, I'm writing it in my notebook and then typing it up on the computer later, which kind of has a phasing effect when it comes to size. I write less when I do it by hand, more when I type. It's all about effort it takes. Takes more to write, less to type. And, being lazy, I typically do it without noticing.

Anyways, I'll try and get the next chapter written up soon, while I'm on roll...

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 5_

by Taka Momos

Sasuke soon learned that the teacher Naruto had told him about was this man named Iruka, who just happened to be Kakashi's boyfriend. Apparently Iruka had lost contact with Naruto when Kakashi had taken him on a surprise vacation that summer. Sasuke remembered the trip well. It was a romantic getaway to a remote tropical island resort. Neither Sasuke nor Itachi wanted to know what Kakashi planned on doing, nor did they want a particularly horny and denied pervert on their hands, so he was quickly given leave.

Sasuke couldn't help but feel good that Naruto was so happy, yet at the same time jealous that it wasn't his doing. They spent an hour and a half in the coffee shop letting the two friend catch up with each other, it was beginning to get dark by the time they left.

"I can't believe I got to see Iruka again! I've missed him so much! He's pretty much the closest thing to a father I've ever really had. This one time I was really sick and he actually took me to the hospital!"

"I'm glad you're happy to see him again."

"Hey, Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks." Sasuke looked over to find Naruto's gaze on the ground, a blush across his tanned face.

"For what?"

"Ya know, finding me and stuff..." Naruto had drifted closer to Sasuke as he said it, giving him the chance to take the blond's hand. They held hands all the way to Sasuke's car, where they hopped in and started to make their way home.

* * *

They'd stopped to eat dinner at a small ramen shop on the way home. Sasuke had to admit that, while he was getting tired of ramen, Naruto was easy to buy for. And Naruto enjoyed it, which was the only reason Sasuke needed to keep eating it.

Sasuke threw all of Naruto's new clothes into the laundry chute, which the maids checked twice a day. He then walked into the bedroom to find Naruto half-dressed, wearing only a loose pair of Sasuke's boxers and one of his biggest shirts. It took all of his strength not to let a primal growl escape his throat just form the sight of it.

He slowly stalked over to the blond who was too busy fighting with the shirt to notice anyone else in the room. He helped the blond head through the evasive hole before slipping his arms around the thing waist and pulling his kitsune closer. Naruto just wrapped his arms around Sasuke's and leaned back into a comfortable embrace.

"Mmm, do you wanna watch a movie?" At Naruto's nod, Sasuke threw his shirt and pants off, strippping to his boxers as fast as he could, before dragging Naruto back into the living room and onto the couch.

"Sasuke, can I have a drink?"

"Yeah, want some popcorn too?"

"Can we!?" Sasuke just nodded as he got back up, turning the T.V. On as he passed it on his way into the kitchen.

He put the popcorn in the microwave and got a bowl and glasses while the bag popped. He sttled on Pepsi, and decided to take the entire bottle out with him instead of pouring the glasses before he went back out. Naruto was busy playing with the remote when Sasuke walked back into the living room. He set the bag, bowl, glasses, and bottle he had been juggling in his arms down as he walked to the closet to find the thickets blanked he could.

"So what are we gonna watch?"

"You'll see." Sasuke poured the popcorn into the bowl and poured the drinks, then sat next to Naruto. He pulled the fox into his lap so that the blanket would fit more easily over them both, then grabbed the remote from Naruto and found an action movie that looked interesting, settled back into the couch, and adjusted the blond in his arms as the movie began to play.

* * *

Still being sure not to move too fast for the blond, Sasuke limited himself to caressing and nuzzling with the occasional gentle kiss, though Naruto's attention was evenly divided between responding to Sasuke and watching the movie.

An hour and a half later, Naruto was asleep in Sasuke's arms. The light snoring that the unconscious heap gave off made Sasuke's heart race. The little lump he'd come to love was snuggled warm in his arms, sleeping comfortably. His grip suddenly tightened as he felt eyes on him, having been too distracted to notice the door being quietly opened. He looked up and locked gazes with his brother.

"Itachi..."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yeah, the ending was alot shorter than I meant for it to be. But I have a really good idea where to go with the next chapter.

Anyways, don't think I haven't been reading your reviews. I have, I love them and they motivate me. Now to prove it.

On the issue of the plot for the story... I really don't know. I'mma be honest with ya. I kind of meant for this to be a straight-up fluff story just because you don't see many of those. I don't mean fluff of the same stuff for the entire story. I mean a story about them going different places and being... fluffy.

But, as a writer, I have a problem with that. I openly condemn stories that have flat characters and uninspired storylines. So I'm at a bit of a crossroads.

All I know to tell is to watch for what I have to say on the matter when I get the next chapter up. I'll either still tell you that I'm deciding, or I'll have a definite decision either way.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed, reviews and favorites stroke my ego, and the more times you do it the faster I'll get my hands out from under my lazy ass and start actually being productive lol


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **I am sooooo sorry this update took so long. I kind of had some stuff going on, craziness and pain and chaos and all of the unpleasant stuff of the like. I did, however, do this chapter differently than the others have been.

Instead of pre-writing a rough draft in my notebook like I have been (which makes for shorter chapters, although more frequent updates) I instead wrote it straight on my computer. So the chapter is better. I might go back and revise the past chapters to help their quality, maybe actually merging some. Anyways, hope I didn't traumatize anyone with the long update...

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 6  
_

by Taka Momos

"Itachi, what are you doing here?"

"Checking in on my little brother. Is a big brother not allowed to worry every once in a while?"

"What. Are. You. Doing?"

"No, Sasuke, I believe the question is, 'What are _you_ doing?'"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" The whisper was harsh enough to stir the sleeping bundle of blond that was in his arms, making Sasuke's anger instantly dissolve into soft, gentle urges for Naruto to go back to sleep. The two Uchiha brothers once again began their conversation once he was sure Naruto was asleep.

"Sasuke, who's that?" Sasuke finally gave in with a sigh, figuring it would be better to just answer his brother than fight back. Now wasn't the time, not with Naruto trying to sleep.

"His name is Naruto, I found him and decided to move him in with me. My turn. Why are you here?" Itachi gave a long, tired sigh as he made his way over to a chair in the large room, plopping down with little more than dead weight.

"Sasuke, when you moved into this apartment I was faced with the problem of still being a responsible older brother in your life without actually violating your privacy. The maids became my solution to the problem..." Sasuke's eyebrow quickly arched at this news.

"You've been having the maids spy on me?"

"No, no, no. After you move in I found out that the maids began a betting pool as to the strangest thing they'd find in your laundry. I told them I didn't mind them betting on your personal life as long as they told me when one of them actually won the bet. At which point I figured it would probably mean a visit from your loving older brother was long overdue..."

"And you're here because one of them won the bet?"

"No, I'm here to find out which one won the bet. With the sudden explosion of cheap, obnoxiously orange clothes it came down to "having a psychotic shopping spree in an outlet store" and "developing an alternate personality that has decidedly bad taste". From the blond in your arms I'd say neither won, although Rosalita certainly won't be happy. Had you killed the boy and thrown his corpse down the laundry chute she would have won..."

"And what were some of the other bets?" His brother's rare smile made him smile as well at whatever the answer would be.

"Well, most were about finding bloody clothing, there were some bets about the heads of small animals being found in the pockets, I think one of them had a bet about small body parts such as fingers or toes, I really tried not to think about what all they thought they'd find. Or why they thought they'd find it for that matter..." An awkward silence settled between the two.

"Where'd you find him?"

"The parking garage."

"Why are you taking care of him?" Sasuke let a frown settle on his face as he stared off, his embrace tightening just barely as he began to think about why the other teen meant so much to him.

"... because he's everything I've never had in life."

* * *

Sasuke decided to move Naruto into the bedroom so that he and Itachi could talk without waking him. Sasuke also knew that deep down he wasn't ready for Naruto to know this much about Itachi, unsure of how Itachi would react to his new house guest. Silence floated between the two before Itachi finally spoke.

"So how long has this been going on?"

"You mean you don't know?" Itachi gave a visible sigh.

"Sasuke, despite what you might believe, I do not have cameras in this apartment and I do not actively involve myself in your private life."

"Then why are you here?"

"Just because I _don't _maintain an active interest in your life doesn't mean that I probably shouldn't. And I do care about you and your wellbeing. Because of that, I'm here to find out more about this person you've taken in off the streets and taken personal responsibility for. So, how long, Sasuke?"

"... a few days." Itachi's eyebrow shot up, his face settling into a grimace accompanied by much more silence that Sasuke expected.

"And exactly how far has it gone in those few days?" Sasuke's usually expressionless face faltered at the question, his gaze dropping and his cheeks slightly hinting a blush.

"Not very far, we're just moving fast..."

"And how far do you want it to go?" Sasuke's head actually snapped up at this question, the blush fully spreading over his face. A knot in his stomach tightened and his breathing became hard as he thought about the answer.

"... far."

"Really now?" Sasuke knew the answer, or situation really, wouldn't surprise Itachi. Itachi had long known Sasuke was gay, and Sasuke knew that Itachi would involve himself with just about anything that would let him, doing anything the person (or thing he sometimes suspected) wanted to do. The only other person he knew whose perversion exceeded Itachi's was Kakashi, although he never could put his finger on the difference between the two. He always knew that their relationship as brothers, however, came before Itachi's sadistic perversion and raging libido, and knew he was one of the few things safe from his brother's "interest".

"Yeah... really. He just... he's special. And making him happy makes me feel... happy?"

"That fuzzy feeling Uchiha's don't feel?" Both brothers smiled, Sasuke letting out what might possibly translate as a chuckle to a normal person. It was one of the many inside jokes they had from their childhood.

"Yeah, that's the one." Another silence descended on the room, one not quite as awkward as before but a noticeable silence nonetheless. Finally, Sasuke let out a long, tired sigh.

"Itachi, what am I doing?"

"Being happy."

"Not that! I mean... what do I do in a day? I work all day, and only get enough sleep to work some more. That's my life, but suddenly it feels like it's not a life anymore... what am I doing?" Itachi had a face that clearly expressed deep contemplation, reminding Sasuke of all the times his brother helped him solve his problems. It reminded him that Itachi cared, and it gave him the warm fuzzy feeling he had laughed about. It brought another joke to mind- all the times he made fun of Itachi and his "thinking face".

"Sasuke, I'll be honest. I've been worried about you. You have been working too much, and I think that this will be good for you. I think that you certainly shouldn't go this fast, it might hurt..."

"Naruto." Sasuke smirked as the glare Itachi let slip clearly meant a "whatever" should be inserted in the conversation, but he wasn't going to say it. "I did make a mistake, and now I know to go slower."

"Well, you know you can always come to me for advice. Fun things to do, things to do fun things with, positions to d-"

"Thank you, Itachi! I know!" Sasuke was quick to cut his brother off, even though he knew he said it as a joke. He knew his brother was serious, but he knew it was still a joke. Itachi just shrugged.

"No problem, and if Naruto has any questions Deidara will be more than happy to give him advice." Itachi was already standing up on his way to leave, both now jabbing at each other happily like they usually did.

"I'm not entirely sure I'll tell him that, but thank you. It's the thought that counts, I guess." Itachi gave another shrug.

"Oh, and I have books you can borrow too. Fun places to try things-"

"Body or location?" The evil smirk told Sasuke his brother meant both, to which he rolled his eyes. Sasuke got up and began playfully pushing his brother towards the door.

"Fun things to do with rope, oh, and then there's one of things to do with vegetables. And I'll guess you'll need to borrow some of my equipment..."

"Itachi!"

"Sasuke?" The two brothers stopped their play-fighting to turn and stare at the sleepy-eyed blond who was rubbing at his eyes with a closed fist. He seemed to not notice the new man in the room immediately, and froze with widened eyes when it finally dawned him. Itachi smiled a smile that Sasuke knew was predatory, he had seen it once on TV when a lion had just pounced on a gazelle and was about to sink its teeth into the prey's throat.

"Hello, Naruto. My name is Itachi, Sasuke's older brother."

"Hhh... h-hi?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well? Did I make up for the time it took to update? I decided to address the issue of their quickly moving relationship, which was rather unintentional, and I have another story that's still in the works. So...

Review and all that fun stuff?


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** I know I haven't updated this story in forever, but I hope this chapter makes up for it – I made it extra long.

You'll be happy to know that all is well with me, and yes – I have an idea of where the next chapter will go. So, other than my busy college life (a heartfelt FUCK YES! to that!) and one of my other stories being updated (Spring is in for an update soon if you're watching that too), the next chapter will quickly be under way.

And yes, some ItaKisa is in the future. I had originally slated there to be ItaDei, and some of you who read it through before may notice the change in the last chapter, but that was a long time ago and part of the reason that I didn't update this for so long is because ItaKisa just seems so much more... natural. So I had to change it, and... it was an ugly mess.

Anyways, I didn't mean to write so much in the A/N, but I guess I got carried away. So, on with the severely overdue Chapter 7.

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 7  
_

by Taka Momos

Naruto looked like a deer caught in headlights – he was breathing erratically, body stiff, staring straight at Sasuke in a silent beg for help.

"Well, I think I should be going. It was a pleasure meeting you, Naruto." He gave a polite nod, turning to leave his brother alone with the blond, who was stuttering shyly. As the door close, Sasuke was quickly at Naruto's side, ushering him to the couch.

"I'm so sorry about him. I'd tell you that he's usually more behaved than that, but I'd be lying. Are you alright?" Naruto nodded into Sasuke's chest as strong arms wrapped around his shoulders. Sasuke laid them both down. An awkward silence passed between them, worrying the Uchiha.

"Naruto?" The blond remained silent, gasping in shaky, forced breaths, trying to stabilize his breathing. Sasuke cupped Naruto's chin in his hand and forced the other to look up at him – he was crying.

"Naruto, tell me what's wrong. Does Itachi scare you that bad? Because he's really not as bad as he was act–"

"It's not that."

"Then what?" The blond was slow to answer, but finally spoke just as Sasuke was growing impatient, quickly growing concerned with what was causing his blond to be so upset.

"I just had a bad dream." Sasuke let out a relieved breath.

"Do you want to talk about –" The frantic shaking of the head against his chest stopped him. He dropped the issue, holding him tighter while caressing his cheek lightly. He let a comfortable silence slip between them, hoping Naruto would fall asleep once again.

"Sasuke?" His voice was tired, quiet.

"Hmm?"

"Can we go somewhere tomorrow?"

"Like where?"

"Don't care..." Sasuke smiled as Naruto buried his head deeper into his chest. Before long, he could hear small snores from his little blond. He tried to shift them so that he could carry Naruto back to bed, but the small whine of disapproval told him that neither of them were going anywhere.

And he was fine with that.

* * *

Sasuke woke around his usual time, though he stayed in bed an extra hour or two to give Naruto time for more sleep. He couldn't bring himself to wake him – not with the comfortable smile on his face or the way he was resting on top of Sasuke on the couch. He felt shivers of warmth run through him every time the sunshine-blond made small noises in his sleep. He watched as the blond was lifted by his chest, rising and falling from his own breaths.

Naruto's rhythmic breathing was broken with a snort, after which he began to stir weakly. Sasuke rose a hand to steady him when he began to roll off his chest – before he could roll off into the floor. Stopped in his movements, stormy blue eyes opened slowly, meeting his own dark orbs.

A gentle smile crept across the tanned face.

"Mmm... morning." Their gaze stayed locked as the blond's tanned armed reached up to wrap around Sasuke's neck. Sasuke breathed into the wheat-colored locks presented to his face as a warm face nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" Golden hairs tickled his nose as Naruto nodded silently. He gently kissed the top of his head as he held him closer – tighter.

"Can we still go somewhere today?" Sasuke had completely forgotten about his promise the night before. He wasn't sure where he could take him.

"Where do you want to go?" Uncertainty flashed across Naruto's eyes.

"I don't know..." The familiar ring of shaken confidence was clear in his voice; Sasuke had forgotten to consider that Naruto didn't know places to go. Sasuke allowed a few moments of awkward silence to pass between them as he thought, he himself unsure of places to go that were "fun". This wasn't the kind of thing he had bothered to concern himself with. Finally, an idea struck him.

"I know! How about we go to the aquarium?" Naruto's darkening eyes quickly regained their sunny shine. The arms around his neck tightened, and he could feel what was definitely a genuine smile spread across the face pressed into his neck.

They stayed that way for a few more minutes – holding each other. Sasuke glanced out the window as the sun peaked over the still-dark horizon. In all the time he'd spent waking early in the morning to begin his work, he'd never once stopped to watch the sun rise. The orange glow of the morning sky was just something he'd noticed every now and then – something he'd taken for granted as he fought the morning traffic on his way to the office.

And now – now there was the very reason he noticed such an incredible sight clinging firmly onto him, burrowing against him sleepily. Never before had he felt so... warm. His arms tightened around his little fox, pulling the thin waist against his own.

"Hmmm?" Questioning blue eyes looked up at him.

"Nothing. Let's get something to eat." Naruto, while not considerably smaller than himself, was still thin from his life in the streets – light enough for him to lift and carry a ways towards the kitchen without much effort. Once relieved of his burden, he continued towards the refrigerator. A shiver ran up his spine as he moved from the soft carpet to the hard, cold stone of the kitchen floor.

"What do you want for breakfast?" A simple shrug was Naruto's response. He settled on eggs and toast, grabbing a few eggs before setting them on the counter and starting the toast. He flipped the stove on as he passed.

It didn't take long to finish cooking – Sasuke worked to move the eggs onto plates, then buttered the toast while Naruto sat idly, sleep still running deep in his face. He woke instantly when the smell of food filled his senses as the completed plate was slid in front of him. Sasuke had barely finished letting go of the fork he'd handed to him when Naruto dug in furiously to the food. He found himself staring at the way the blond shoveled the food into his mouth, almost not bothering to chew. It didn't take long for blue eyes to glance up uncomfortably.

"What?" he asked, the food still stuffed in his mouth muffling the word.

"Nothing." Sasuke smiled, shaking his head. He sat down and began his own breakfast.

After breakfast, showering, and struggling to find clothes that wouldn't make him stand out like... well, like a businessman in a sea of aquarium-goers, Sasuke finally walked into the room ready to spend a day surrounded by water and fish. Glancing around, he spotted a head of blond hair over the back of the couch, watching the news with his hands folded neatly in his lap. Sasuke walked up behind him quietly, snaking his arms around Naruto's neck, nuzzling into his hair.

It was when he pulled back that he noticed how Naruto was dressed – an obnoxiously orange shirt, an orange jacket, and a pair of Sasuke's own baggy black pants. Sasuke had decided on on a similar pair of pants and a tight-fitting tanktop. Naruto reached up to run his hands over Sasuke's muscled arms, turning his head to stare into his eyes with a smile. Sasuke bent down and kissed him gently.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah!" Sasuke laughed at Naruto's excitement, walking to the counter to grab his cellphone and keys. As they headed out the door, Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke's hand, dragging him along. Sasuke smiled, enjoying the warmth of both Naruto's hand and the sun on his skin. It was already shaping up to be a good day.

* * *

"Woah..." Naruto's mouth was hanging open as he looked at the massive aquarium – the outside was a clever blend between a small water park and a sculpture garden. A small river ran through cleverly-designed cracks in the pavement, some areas large enough for children to play in and adults to wade across. Bridges adorned with ivy and abstract railing lifted over larger slabs of concrete, further contributing to the broken look. Fountains and sculptures using falling water were everywhere.

Sasuke had forgotten how amazing it was. He hadn't visited the aquarium since Itachi had taken him as a child.

Luckily, since they'd decided to visit on a weekday, there weren't many other visitors – Sasuke hated crowds. Feeling confident with no one looking, Sasuke wrapped an arm around Naruto's waist and pulled him forward, smiling at Naruto's still shell-shocked expression.

"Ready?" Naruto's expression relaxed before he finally nodded, a gentle smile settling across his lips. Another surge of warmth ran through Sasuke's body as he watched the blond bangs bounce off of the scarred cheeks.

Naruto's amazement returned as they walked through the aquarium – through tunnels and corridors of darkness and glass, behind which was massive amounts of water and tanks of colorful fish flitting about. Sasuke decided to talk the walking tour instead of the more commonly taken escalators. The sights were the same, though the walking path was more secluded and offered a view closer to the floor of the tanks instead of from the middle. They passed sharks, rays, seahorses, and an entire set of tanks dedicated to exotic fish. The tunnels led to a room filled with tanks of reptiles – snakes, lizards, turtles, and a larger room with alligators and a small swamp-like environment.

The next tunnel, longer than the first, took them further down, probably underground. It was darker and colder, with various kinds of sharks swimming around them. Once them reached the next turn, a small, square room, Naruto slowed down and stopped.

"Can we rest for a minute?" Sasuke was worn out from the walk as well, slightly regretting the path he'd taken. Naruto grabbed his hand and pulled him towards one of the walls – an entire side of a tank. They sat next to each other on the wide ledge.

Silence passed between them. They'd been comfortably quiet the entire tour, but this silence was difference. Sasuke looked over, about to ask if Naruto was alright, when he noticed that the other was shivering slightly. He reached over, wrapping an arm around the shaking shoulders, earning a smile. As Sasuke begin gently rubbing Naruto's shoulder, Naruto leaned his head against Sasuke's chest, snuggling deeper into the embrace. Sasuke leaned them both back against the small wall at the edge of the ledge, giving them a view of the tank while they rest. After a few minutes, Sasuke slipped his handed underneath Naruto's shirt, rubbing his arms.

"Naruto?"

"Hmmm?" he purred, tanned hands gripping onto his shirt.

"Are you alright?"

"Hng.... warm..." Sasuke smiled and pulled him closer, shifting Naruto so that his back was flush against Sasuke's chest. Naruto sighed, almost a moan, as Sasuke slipped his hand underneath Naruto's shirt rubbing in small circles up his stomach. Naruto's gasps quickly turned into bitten-off moans as Sasuke rupped his thumb over the dusky nipple. He leaned down to suck on the tanned earlobe, rolling it between his teeth. It was when Naruto let out choked gasp as Sasuke pinched the nipple that he quickly stopped. He hadn't meant to take it so far.

"Ahh... 'suke?"

"I'm sorry." Confusion clouded the half-lidded eyes before finally understanding. In an unexpected moment of confidence, tanned arms reached up to encircle Sasuke's neck, pulling him down slightly.

"You don't need to be." The warm, gentle smile was too much for him. Sasuke reached in and roughly grabbed Naruto's lips with his own, sucking harshly on his lower lip before scraping it gently with his teeth. Naruto's throaty moans set him on fire as he swiped his tongue across the lips, begging for entrance. He plunged in when Naruto parted his lips, battling for dominance he already had. His hands roamed, grabbing and rubbing where he could find purchase. They were only vaguely aware of the looming shadow above them that hung there. Sasuke looked down into Naruto's eyes, smoldering in the heat of passion, when suddenly the mouth he was plundering pulled away and cried out in surprise. His head shot up to look at the figure in front of them.

A diver.

"Sasuke?" His gaze shot over towards the familiar voice. And there he stood, smirk plastered in place.

Itachi.

"Itachi, what they hell are you doing here!?" Naruto was all but thrown on the ground as Sasuke discarded him from his lap, storming towards his still-smirking brother.

"Not having near as much fun as you appeared to be. I can leave while you two finish your... business." His brother nodded his head down at Sasuke's "business", forcing the younger raven to grudgingly retreat back to the ledge, seating himself to hide his evident bulge.

"Itachi... what are you doing here?" he ground out, the sudden awareness of the tightness in his pants being the only thing keeping him from throttling his brother.

"Sasuke, I'm hurt. You've forgotten. I take such an interest in your life, and you can't do the same." Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows angrily in confusion at Itachi's mock hurt, glaring until Itachi explained. His brother gave in with a sigh.

"Kisame." He nodded his head towards the diver. Sasuke suddenly remembered, mentally hitting himself for forgetting. Kisame worked at the aquarium – more specifically, he was in charge of the sharks' feeding, healthcare, and breeding. He turned to look at the diver, who waved in response.

"He was checking to see why the tanks were fogging, I supposed..." A rare blush hinted Sasuke's cheeks, before anger returned.

"That still doesn't explain what _you're_ doing here." Noticing Naruto shivering beside him, he wrapped an arm around his little blond, pulling him closer. Sasuke shot a fiery glare when Itachi smirked in triumph at the act.

"I take my lunch break here. When he's working outside the tanks, we go get something to eat. When he's diving, I wait until he's out, then I join him in the showers for a little... _personal _session of depth-probing. You'd think he'd be tired after feeding sharks, but it only seems to get him even more excited. Me as well. Watching him peel off that skin-tight diving suit, knowing that soon he'll have me against the wall, ravaging me, pushing deep and thrusting hard and fast until we– "

"Stop!" While Sasuke's angry cry had stopped him from talking, the smoldering look in his eyes as he stared at the body of the diver behind them was inextinguishable.

"Anyways, come. I'll take you both back behind the tanks. We can go out to lunch together." Sasuke began to say no, but considered how rare of an opportunity it was to be behind the tanks, where only employees and their visitors were allowed. It would be an experience Naruto would never forget. He looked down at the scarlet fox, blushing madly from both being caught in the middle of such an intimate moment and Itachi's explicit ramblings.

"Do you want to?" Naruto only stared at the floor for a moment longer before nodding, earning a grin of triumph from Itachi.

"Come then!" They followed Itachi as he led them to a locked door stating _'Employees Only'. _He pulled out Kisami's employee card and swiped it through the lock, earning them a beep and the sound of a lock granting them access.

Sasuke wrapped his arm tighter around Naruto as they walked through the door, almost growling possessively as Naruto leaned into him.

* * *

**Author's Note: ** Again, I hope this chapter made up for how long it took to update. My policy still stands (after all this time, I know) – you review and favorite and all that lovely stuff, and I'll update sooner.

It's true. If you stroke my ego, I'll feel creative faster.

I'm such a sucker for that kind of stuff!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** So I'm getting over pneumonia. Yeah... fun. Anyways, so this was half-written before I got sick, and I finished it in 2 runs. The ending I've been swishing around in my head for a while now.

Anyways, enjoy! Oh, and I plan on writing a more serious fic after this one, with a Naruto that's not a candy-ass and a Sasuke that's not a pushover. Like I've said for a while now -- this is my release. It's just a feel-good fic. It is what it is. It feels good to write, and I hope you guys feel good reading it. But I want something meatier, with more suspense and meaning.

But that's for tomorrow, and this update is for tonight.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 8_

by Taka Momos

The various rooms behind the tanks were nothing like the decorated exteriors – they were a sterile white, filled with bottles of chemicals and various cleaning tools. Huge pipes led to giant tanks, weaving in and out of massive industrial filters used to handle the enormous task of keeping multi-ton gallon tanks clean. The rooms behind the shark tanks had no other employees – Kisame was skilled enough to handle the shark tanks by himself. In fact, few other employees _wanted_ to work with the sharks, so Kisame was the perfect answer to the problem of staffing for the particular area.

Itachi led them to an elevator in the corner – old, dirty, but sturdy and secure.

"This is the pump room." Itachi commented. Ushering Sasuke and Naruto into the elevators, Itachi hit the Up button. "Now we're heading up to the tank's main room."

The elevator groaned and cried as it rose, lifting them up with a jolt. Sasuke could feel the blond's grip on his shirt tighten, so he pulled him closer. He could blame him – the elevator wasn't in the best shape. He himself was worried about it even making it to the top – the breath he'd held the entire ride released when the familiar ding signaled their arrival.

The smell of fish assaulted them as the doors open, most likely coming from the cooler filled with cut up fish. A table against the wall was covered in fish carcasses, head and bone strewn around in a messily-kept workspace, the knife Kisame must have used to clean the fish laying to the side.

Above the table, lining the walls of the massive room, were shelves of various foods and chemicals – dried algaes, dehydrated shrimp and plankton, fish flakes, medicines of all kinds – for stress, mucus secretion, wound treatments, and things Sasuke didn't even know what were for.

Most noticeably of all, though, was the large, square hole that consumed most of the of the room – the top of the tank. Light danced off the water as small waves distorted the view of the scene below. The tank was relatively dark, as opposed to the light-filled tanks of the other kinds of fish. However, being so close to the surface, with the powerful fluorescent lights above, gave him a somewhat-clear view into the tank below – clear enough to see Kisame rising towards them.

The water splashed onto the tiled floor as he broke the surface, the creases between the tiles running with the water of Kisami's wetsuit as he pulled himself up onto the dry floor. A gush of air blew from his mask as he pulled it from his mouth, turning to remove his gear from his body; heavy gear suddenly much heavier once pulled out of the water.

His mouth, now unoccupied, grinned a toothy, feral grin as he met Sasuke's gaze. Sasuke fought the heat that threatened his cheeks as he succumbed to the predatory look. He braced himself for the man's comments.

"Well, Sasuke, I always figured you'd follow your brother's inclinations towards being the prey. But from what I could tell, you do pretty good as a predator! Welcome to the club!" Sasuke brushed away the man's presented hand, clearly offered in jest. Kisame only laughed at the moody response, half-undressing from his wetsuit, pulling it down to his waist to reveal an incredibly well-sculpted chest of blue muscle. Sasuke's gaze drifted from the exposed chest to his little fox, pulling firmly on the others arm and embracing him when he noticed a blush across the blond's scarred cheeks. He chose to ignore his brother's smirk, not having to look to know that his brother found his jealousy amusing. As far as Sasuke was concerned, jealousy was an Uchiha trait that enforced a widely known fact – all things great belonged to an Uchiha, and those things that didn't soon would.

Naruto's attention, however, already belonged to him, and he would not allow the blond's interest to stray – even to a sight such as Kisame's incredible physique.

Kisame dragged his oxygen tank over to the table, removing his tools as he quickly cleaned and dismantled his gear. He moved almost mindlessly, probably having done this task countless times before. It was probably habit for him by now, cleaning the tools in a certain order, placing one thing to the left while he set the tanks to the right. Sasuke caught the heated glaze in his brother's eyes, but his cheeky comment was cut off by Kisame, who chose that moment to begin idle conversation.

"So Naruto, what's your favorite type of fish?"

"Hmmm... I'm not sure. I kind of like sunfish. Frogs are probably my favorite though!"

"Frogs do have rather impressive tongues." Itachi quipped. Sasuke managed to elbow Itachi in the ribs while the comment sunk in, causing Naruto to blush furiously. Sasuke shifted Naruto in his grip, burying the blond's face in his chest.

"Itachi, I will kill you!" Kisame's explosive laugh interrupted Itachi's reply.

"Well, then it's settled! We'll go see the frogs! We have some very nice specimens up in the freshwater tank. I'll go shower and change, just head out that door, take a left, and take the elevator to the fifth floor. That should get you to the amphibian tanks."

Sasuke nodded his thanks, leading Naruto, still holding him tight, towards the mentioned door. He threw a questioning glance towards Itachi, who, instead of following the two, stayed still. He shifted slightly, before raising his nose to Sasuke's inquisitive looks and heading after Kisame.

"You two go on ahead, there's a certain _specimen_ I need to discuss with Kisame."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile in victory as his brother strutted away.

* * *

"Sasuke, look at this one!"

Sasuke could barely keep up with Naruto as the blond darted to different tanks around the room – with no sense of order or logic. All of the tanks were filled with frogs – frogs of every size and color. Bright green, red, yellow, blue, black, some were spotted, some were striped, Sasuke even came to learn that the orange ones, apparently rare, were Naruto's favorite.

Sasuke, however, wasn't interested in the frogs – the sight of his fox racing around the room with so much excitement was enough entertainment for him. And only a very special kind of person could ruin the moment.

"Sasuke, your boyfriend is smudging the glass." Itachi appeared at his side, still wet and disheveled. Sasuke didn't even try to hide the grin that crept across his lips.

"You look like you had fun." His brother only cast him a bemused look.

"In fact, we did. Your little make-out scene got us both going a bit. I guess exhibitionism is hereditary." Sasuke only hummed his reply. As annoying as his brother was, he wouldn't trade the moments of brotherly banter for anything. A moment of silence slipped between them as he returned his attention to the fascinated Naruto, who had busied himself trying to communicate with the frogs. He couldn't help but feel a certain sense of dread.

"I guess I should be getting back to work soon."

"Why?"

"It's been a few days. I'm a high-ranking officer of the company. I'm needed." The sound Itachi made was nothing short of a snort.

"Exactly – you're a high-ranking officer of the company. And high-ranking officers of companies are blessed with the gift of being able to delegate all of their responsibilities onto others. That's what makes you a manager – you manage people. So 'manage' them to do your job."

"The beauty of management..."

"Hey, Sasuke! Can we – oh..." Whatever Naruto had been about to say was cut short when he noticed Itachi. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"You didn't, there was nothing to interrupt. It's nice to see you again, Naruto." Sasuke knew that Itachi's warmth was genuine – he didn't always enjoy being the cold-hearted bastard people saw him as. So he nodded Naruto on, The blond was slow to warm up to the elder Uchiha, but finally settled into a certain comfortable silence at Sasuke's side

"Itachi, isn't your lunch break almost over?"

"Management." Sasuke grinned, nodding affirmation.

"You know, lunch doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I know a wonderful little restaurant nearby. My treat?" Sasuke pulled Naruto close, rubbing his arm reassuringly. Naruto was slow to respond, but eventually nodded.

"Is Kisame coming?" Itachi's only grinned.

"Kisame's already had his lunch."

* * *

The lunch was uneventful – for the most part. Sasuke quickly discovered that Itachi's "little" restaurant was actually a high-class French bistro, leaving Sasuke to attempt to translate the menu for Naruto – who, justifiably, wasn't all that interested in French cuisine. Naruto couldn't bring himself to ask Sasuke to pay most of the prices, the suggestion of snails disgusted him, and Sasuke could see the sadness swell in his eyes when they came to the frog legs – not at all helped by their recent visit to the aquarium.

Sasuke finally managed to order Naruto roast duck, though only under the condition that the two would share – he convinced the blond that, not being hungry, it would be far less expensive to share one meal than order two.

A nice, quiet meal later, and the three were walking out. The conversation was light and friendly – something that Sasuke knew would go a long way between Naruto and Itachi's relationship. When he wanted to be, Itachi could be a very pleasant person. Between his lewd, flagrant references to sex, cold disposition, and sadistic sense of humor, he truly _was_ a nice guy.

One packed away in the car, Sasuke and Naruto sat alone – overlooking the park as raindrops gently pelted the roof. While Sasuke wasn't happy that his impromptu walk through the park had been rained on, he found himself mesmerized by the way Naruto leaned against him sleepily.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Sasuke let his arm snake around the lean shoulders beside him.

"Hmmm?" Naruto was silent for a moment, breathing softly.

"Are you happy?" The question was quiet, barely above a whisper – if at all. Sasuke watched the scarred face carefully for a sign behind the question's purpose, though with his eyes clenched shut, breathing shallow, he couldn't gather much information.

"Right now? Yeah – pretty happy. Why? … aren't you?" Naruto's eyes snapped open in shock.

"Of course! That's now what I mean! It's just... if I make you happy, you'll keep me around. And right now it doesn't feel like I'm doing much to make you happy, so I can't figure out why you put up with me..." Sasuke brought his hand to Naruto's cheek, tracing one of the lines lightly.

"You don't have to do anything to make me happy. Seeing you happy makes me happy."

"So you love me?" The question caught Sasuke off guard, and his silence was making his little fox uncomfortable. Finally, he smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I do." Sasuke gently rubbed circles in Naruto's arm. He wanted to ask the question – he wanted so much to ask if Naruto loved him too. He wanted to know if Naruto loved him for _him_, not because he bought him things or took him places. But he didn't want to know the answer.

Naruto, however, answered it for him, gently snuggling against him as the rain grew hard, a soft smile graced across his lips.

"Good, because I love you too."

In that moment, with Naruto in his arms – alone – he felt as if he had everything in the world he'd ever need.

It was already dark by the time they arrived at the Uchiha's estate; beams of light illuminated the pouring water of the fountains, the house was lit up a like a lantern against the darkness. Sasuke decided, for the first time in months, to enter the main house and show Naruto some of the things they could do the next day – the swimming pool, the billiards room, the theater; Sasuke could think of many things to do in the darkness of the theater.

Sasuke was so busy focusing on his lover's fascination with the extravagant decoration of the main room that he completely missed the guest who entered the room from the lounge – Itachi close behind. He stopped to watch Itachi's face – filled with anger and frustration. It wasn't until he felt a strong pull on his arm that he realized something was wrong.

Naruto was pulling him hard towards the door, spending his quickly-draining strength in an attempt to escape the room. He gripped the blond's shoulders, only to have the pale face bury in his chest.

"Naruto? What's wrong?" A hot wetness crept through his shirt – Naruto was sobbing silently. He shook the blond firmly once more.

"Naruto!"

"T-that's him! Sasuke, it's him!" The rest decayed into violent heaves.

He set his gaze firmly on the man who would reduce his Naruto to a sobbing heap at just a sight – set his piercing, Uchiha gaze straight into the eyes of evil.

"_Orochimaru."_

* * *

**Author's Note: **So? Did you like it. I mean, I didn't proofread -- feel free to point them out to me. I mean... ok, so, I had to take a piss. Not much more to it.

Anyways, I'm gonna be trying to be much better about responding to reviews. I've been horrible about it, and I'm sorry. Really! I'm just... ya know, unfamiliar with the FFNet system. But I promise -- you review, and I'll respond! Plus, I'll update faster!

So... see ya next update!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Meh. I know it's kind of short. It's been so long since I've updated this story, and I've had this chapter half-written for _forever_, so I finally tried to sit down tonight and I realized the reason I can't write anymore is because it's in a nice stopping place already. So... anyways, here ya go! Sorry for the wait!

* * *

**Muddy Waters**

_Chapter 9  
_

by Taka Momos

Sasuke held Naruto in his arms as Orochimaru looked them over, his gaze predatory as he raked over the shivering man Sasuke held close to him.

"Well, if it isn't the young Sasuke. And who is your little friend?" He said, walking towards them.

"Get out." The approaching man stopped, his body reacting to the rejection, but his cocky smirk remained set on his lips.

"Why, Sasuke. I'm only here to visit."

"I said get out!" A fire burned in Sasuke's eyes as he positioned himself between the man and his blond, unconsciously posturing himself like a wolf protecting his den. Itachi remained silent, knowing that he should stop the confrontation, but finding himself yielding to his trust in his brother's justification for being hostile and his own personal hatred for the slimy son of a bitch.

Orochimaru looked them over, deciding it best to avoid a fight with the Uchiha in such an unfavorable situation – on Uchiha territory – and outnumbered, with the ever-watchful elder Uchiha only feet away. He shrugged, heading for the door, passing by the two as he left.

"Well, I hope we see each other soon, Sasuke. And I hope maybe then I'll get to meet your little... friend." Orochimaru locked with Naruto's terrified eyes, his smirk growing into a perverted, knowing grin as his victim began to buckle in fear.

Sasuke bared his teeth in rage, his body moving forward with every intention of forcefully removing the man's ugly smirk from his face – and as much of the man's face as he could manage to rip off as well. However, a clothed shoulder intercepted him as Itachi positioned himself between the two.

"It's time for you to leave, Orochimaru. Business deal or not, you've overstayed your welcome." Orochimaru finally accepted that his fun was over, and left the door without a word.

It was a soft clawing at his back that extinguished all anger from his body; he quickly turned around, taking his terrified boyfriend into his arms. Naruto shook in fear, eyes wide – his muscles frozen as the tears washed down his cheeks without the sobs that should have accompanied them.

Sasuke held him close, moving him to the couch. Itachi was close behind them, silent. By the time Sasuke reached the couch, the grip on his shirt had weakened to a loose hold, and Naruto was asleep as soon as Sasuke pulled him against him as he sat on the couch. Naruto's body was cold, his tanned skin pale.

"Is he alright?"

"No."

"What hap –"

"He raped him." Itachi immediately understood, not surprised that one of the many rumors surrounding the sexual proclivities of "The Snake Man" would be true – most of the business world was familiar with stories about his sadism, his pedophilia; he knew better than to believe all rumors, such as that he enjoyed slitting the throats of sheep and raping their dead bodies, covering himself in their blood as he thrust into them while he lay in the pool that drained from them. But he wasn't at all surprised that some of the lesser stories were true – but he certainly hadn't expected to find one be proven true right in front of him.

"He's cold." Itachi nodded, watching his brother gently pet the exhausted body in his arms. Sasuke's voice was quiet – sad and tired, much like it sounded when he was young; when he felt guitly that his parents didn't love him. It tugged at his heart – he wanted nothing more for his brother to be happy, and his parents had made that hard. He'd watched his brother grow up in a house completely void of love, except for the love they'd shared as brothers. And now, once he'd found something he could open up to, it was set back.

"You should probably get him to bed. He probably wants to feel safe." Sasuke nodded in understanding.

"I know, but I want a blanket to wrap him in while I get him to the apartment." Itachi met the eyes staring at him – pain, a pain he'd seen in those eyes far too many times, filled the dark orbs. He nodded quietly and moved to get a blanket from the nearby lounging room. Grabbing the thickest blanket, he moved back, stopping to listen to Sasuke's quiet hushing as Naruto sobbed in his sleep. He finally decided he'd heard enough, and approached, handing the blankets to Sasuke and helping to wrap up the sleep man.

Sasuke scooped him up gently and headed deeper into the mansion, towards the connecting hallway between the basement of Sasuke's apartment and the main building of the compound. Itachi headed into his bedroom as sank on the bed, tired from the night. It wouldn't even be an hour before Kisame would be home, and he could forget all what had happened – be it a passionate round of rough sex, pounding all sense out of him, or simply by holding him in strong arms, letting him lose himself in the warmth of the broad chest and tight embrace, Kisame could always make him forget.

Thinking of it only for a moment, Itachi smiled at the thought of Sasuke being Naruto's Kisame. But he didn't dwell on it, instead closing his tired eyes and waiting in the darkness.

* * *

Wrapped in the blanket, Sasuke had a hard time peeling off Naruto's clothes. Finally, after struggling for a few minutes, he managed to undress Naruto down to his boxers. He set him on the couch, turning to lock the doors and turn off the lights, but a pathetic whine at the loss of touch had him pulling his fox close against him, carrying him as he went about his nightly routine.

Once finished, he moved to the bedroom, where he quickly stripped himself down to his own boxers. He brought the other man with him beneath the thick, dark blue blankets, only loosely wrapped in the blanket he'd been carried in.

Sasuke wrapped an arm around his waist, and tucked another beneath the head of blond hair. He snaked the arm up his back, to his shoulders, and pulled the other man against his chest. Soft, hot puffs blew against his chest – the sensation making his head foggy with emotion. Happiness swelled, and rolled into a painful grief. He found himself crying into the soft, sunshine hair. The body beside him stirred, and reddened eyes looked up at him. He quickly wiped away the salty tears still on his cheeks, but Naruto had already known.

" 'suke? Why're you crying?" The voice was small and tired, broken from the earlier events. But fear drove his concern to surpass his own weakness. Sasuke only shook his head.

"It's nothing. You need sleep, Naruto. Go back to sleep." Naruto shook his head, sitting up shakily.

"What'd I do? Sasuke, I'm sorry for whatever I did! I didn't mean to! Please, Sa –" He was quick to cut him off, silencing the rising terror he could already seen in the other's worn eyes.

"It wasn't you, Naruto. Shhh... it wasn't you."

"Th-then wh –"

"I let you down. That's all."

"N-no... no, Sasuke..." Naruto was shaking his head violently, grabbing on to Sasuke's shoulders as he buried himself deeper into his chest.

"I shouldn't have let him get that close to you. I should have protected you better." Sasuke realized as he said it that he was being irrational, but he couldn't help the guilt tugging at him.

"You didn't know! Please, Sasuke, you didn't know! Please, don't feel bad, Sasuke, please! It's OK! I forgive you! Just _please!_" The voice cracked as the emotional begging whined from his raw throat. Sasuke held him as he began crying harder, rubbing his back. All he'd needed to hear was that he was forgiven, even if he hadn't done anything wrong. He felt the guilt drain out of him, and he regained the strength he'd felt earlier.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I feel better now."

"Promise?" Sasuke smiled at the childish question.

"I promise. Thank you."

Naruto nodded before he fell quiet, gently slipping into sleep.

Sasuke smiled as soft snores tickled his chest. He joined Naruto in sleep not long after.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So yeah. Sorry it's not so great. Hope you enjoyed it anyways though :)


	10. Notice of Discontinuation

**Notice of Discontinuation**

So yeah.

Here's the end.

Sorry it's not the most glamorous in the world.

But it's my compromise for not deleting the story.

Instead, I'll leave it up so people can read what little of them there is.

I'm sorry, but it's not fair to give false hope that it will ever get finished.

I guess I'm just a failure like that.

The explanation is on my profile, so don't leave bitchy reviews on the story.

Have the balls to flame me in a PM. Yell, scream, insult me, I don't care. The story deserves better though.


End file.
